.45ACP Revolver?

[Chris Pinkleton]

I'm interested in getting a .45ACP revolver for home defence. I'd like something in a medium-to-heavy frame with a 3" to 5" barrel. I don't currently own a revolver, but of the ones I have fired I liked the GP-100 best. Any equivalent in .45? Any decent non-S&W .45ACP guns out there?

 

[croyance]

Dan Wesson at http://www.dan-wesson.com

 

[7th Fleet]

It is very admirable that you are looking for a non Smith and Wesson gun, due to their sell out to the creeps in the Klinton administration. But if you can find what we refer to a pre sell out gun, which is a used S&W manufactured and sold prior to the sellout by S&W, ten it is acceptable to buy. Because S&W does not profit from the sale.

If you can find a pre sell out Model 625 .45acp, which is a 4" barrel, stainless steel N frame revolver, you can do no better than this. They are outstanding guns, which will last you a lifetime and the traitors at S&W don't profit from your hard earned dollars, and you get the gun that you are looking for.

7th

 

[Chris Pinkleton]

I looked at the Dan Wesson link -- thanks Croyance -- but the only .45ACP I could find sure was sweet but well out of my price range. Anything much over $600 is a pretty distant possibility, I'm afraid. I'll try looking for a used 625 but I have I feeling that many folks are holding onto the pre-sellout ones.

 

[Bill Adair]

Chris,

To my knowledge, Smith & Wesson is the only manufacturer currently producing a 45 ACP double action revolver.

Since your not really taking business away from any other manufacturer, I can't see where you have an option but to buy a new or used Smith.

I presume the reason you want a 45 ACP revolver, is ease of handling a firearm, using a cartridge you already have on hand, or currently reload?

Otherwise, I'd recommend one of the Ruger Redhawks in 45 Colt, or even the Ruger Blackhawk single action convertable, that shoots both 45 Colt, or 45 ACP, with the change of a cylinder. Cocking a single action revolver, is no more trouble than thumbing a safety on a pistol.

Bill

 

[dewey]

S&W 25-2

Hey Chris-

The M25-2 .45ACP/AR revo are available used on the auction sites for 400 to 450 in very good to excellent. They are
a little cheaper than the 625s mentioned earlier in this
post. Most of the time you'll see them in 6 1/2" which is proly a little large for your nightstand but the 4 inchers are out there.The pre-'82 guns have a pinned brrl. which makes them a tad more collectable. Be careful as the
M25-3 came in .45ACP & .45Colt. The 25-4,-5,-7, & -9
were .45Colt.

The 625 was also made in 3,4 and 5 inch versions. IMHO, the 3 inch 625 would make a dandy house gun. If you ever presented it to a BG that hole on a stainless guns looks large, indeed. Best...dewey

 

[lonegunman]

"help save a part of America that Klinton wants to destroy"???

S&W is a British owned company, not American.

Boycotting S&W does nothing to harm the gun industry... I am still gonna buy a gun, just from somebody else.

 

[dairycreek]

The Ruger convetible.......

is one nice single action revolver. It comes with two cylinders one in 45 LC and one in 45 ACP. The conversion is both easy and quick. Good accruacy (for me) in both callibers. If you are a reloader you can do some real nice (and safe) things with it as well. It sure is worth a look.

 

[Grapeshot]

"S&W is a British owned company, not American. Boycotting S&W does nothing to harm the gun industry..."

But where are the guns made? In Great Britain, or the USA? S&W going out of business, regardless of your feeling on the matter, results in AMERICAN workers being out of a job.
I'd say that affects the American gun industry alright.

As far as the 625's go, they are fine guns.

 

[Chris Pinkleton]

First of all, thanks to all who wrote w/advice --dewey, I'll be on the lookout for a 25-2. 6.5" is a bit big, but if the price were right. . .

I am interested in a .45ACP revolver mostly because I think the caliber is ideal for home defence (big permanent wound cavity w/o overpenetration) and the revolver mechanism means less need to test ammo for relability. This is a big advantage fo me because I'm interested in using an exotic like the MagSafe SWAT or the Glaser. Even with standard hollowpoint loads, I feel better about the revolver's reliabilty. I love the 1911 and plan to get a nice Kimber one of these days --- when I have a lot more cash!

On the S&W "sellout" topic -- I am hardly a fanatic on this, but as a previous owner of a small business I am outraged by the "agreement" which puts S&W in the position of trying to force government regulations down retailers' throats. This "back door" approach is sneaky and disgusting. I'm not all that happy with Ruger either, with their support of the 10 rd. magazine law.

This is really lame 'cause I really want a 625 and a GP-100!

 

[C.R.Sam]

Politics aside.....given a choice, I would select a 25 over a 625. You may not shoot either enough to tell a difference, but the real steel 25 should outlast the stainless 625.

Sam

 

[RWK]

For C R Sam

Sam, my friend, I suspect that with factory .45 ACP loads both the N Frame 25 (blue/carbon steel) and the N Frame 625 (stainless steel) will last literally lifetimes. Now I agree with your point, however, I believe both are fundamentally rock solid -- it's a little like suggesting marble is more durable than granite.

Best regards -- Roy

 

[lonegunman]

amprecon...

No, I dont know another source of 625's other than S&W, which is a shame.


and I have no idea what your "burn the house down" comment means.

 

[C.R.Sam]

Roy, I totaly agree with you re use rate of MOST people. However, I have only owned two stainless Smiths and managed to shoot both of them to death. Granted, neither is an N frame (686 and 696).

Thank you for the incentive... gonna start a stainless vs ordinance steel thread on general handguns.

Respectfully, Sam.....if it ain't broke yet, let my try it.

 

[Red Label]

many laughs...

This is hilarious. Some poor slob the other day made the mistake of posting that he had a new S&W that he liked. Which in turn started yet another serious thread that separated the posters to either side of the S&W arguement. And here we are again dealing with this issue. Only thing is... now we have a post authored by amprecon that states those who are boycotting S&W are "like kids" -- and yet, no fireworks. One just never knows what is going to happen round here. Go figure...

 

[M16]

Hey Red Label, I resemble that remark! Sure makes for enjoyable reading doesn't it.

 

[BMWGS80]

First things first.

Smith & Wesson has been sold to a US consortium.
(knew about the deal perking for two months)

When your life depends on a tool get the best you can.

Technical issue ALL .45 ACP revolvers headspace on the case mouth. Beware of the length of your brass and how you reload. Too short cases will be unrliable. Do NOT roll crimp your cases and watch switching auto to revolver brass.

The best new .45ACP revolver out there is the S&W Mountain Gun 4" tapered barrel.

I still use a Colt 1917 carried by my Great grandfather in WWI. The same gun my Grandfather carried in WWII and my father in Korea. It started out with a 5" bbl. that was shortened to 3" by my father.

Whatever you decide remember...PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

Bullit placement is the key. Knockdown power in a handgun is a myth. If it could knock down the target, it would knock you down as well.

Watch yer top knot!

ts

 

[Coronach]

S&W politics

My POV? If it damages profits enough, Tomkins will unload the company and someone else will buy it...and I'll bet that someone will try to undo the agreement, and I'll bet the Bush administration won't try to hard to keep it in place. End result: S&W will be back in the fold.

Hey, look. Its starting already.

So, boycott away. It has hurt Smith, and it will return them to sensibility.

Mike

 

[Walt Welch]

Another advantage of the excellent S&W 625 is that it will accept the .45 Super cartridge without any modification.

The .45 Super is a proprietary cartridge which has the same exterior dimensions as the .45 ACP, but works at 28,000 psi as compared with the 19,000 psi of the .45 ACP.

Walt

 

[juliet charley]

Actually, when you use AR or the moon clip .45 ACP revolvers do NOT headspace on the case mouth as previously posted. If you fire single rounds (sans a clip) OR shoot a single (a la Ruger Convertible) then they head space on the case mouth.

There is what sounds like a good S&W 1917 (actually Argentine) on gunsamerica.com--it has been hard chormed (a plus in my book), and I believe the asking price was $315 including S&H.